What About Church Membership?

We live in a time in which many professing Christians regard church membership as optional. They consider church membership as something that men devised for pragmatic reasons; that it has nothing to do with the requirements of Scripture. One often hears statements and questions such as: “Where does the Bible say ‘Go join the local church?’” “Church membership is legalistic. It was devised so that corrupt church officials could gain control over the people.” “I’m a Christian but I don’t believe in the institutional church.” “The institutional church is totally corrupt so I worship at home with my family.” “My relationship to God is a very private and special matter. It is between me and my Savior. I don’t want to impede this relationship by joining a church with all its problems.” “I’m part of the invisible church. Therefore, there is no need for me to join the visible local church.” “The local church is a good thing, but joining it is a purely voluntary affair and I am simply too busy to get involved with it right now. Maybe I’ll join when I’m not so busy.” Is membership in a local church purely voluntary like joining the Lion’s Club or the Boy Scouts? Is it something men devised to lord it over other men and gain control over their money? No. Absolutely not! The biblical evidence for church membership is abundant and overwhelming.